I am saddened to write this opinion piece, but after much thought, I must. In my long life I have never voted for a Democrat for president. That will change this year.

The country can survive Hillary’s chronic deceptiveness. It might not survive Trump’s erratic, ego-driven recklessness.

Trump is an egomaniac conman who poses the greatest threat to our country of any presidential candidate in history. His instability is demonstrated by the fact that he has changed his party registration at least five times. He was a registered Democrat as recently as 2009. By his rhetoric Trump is not a conservative. By the gullibility of the modern Republican Party, he is their candidate for president. His only true loyalty is to himself.

He boasts that he would strengthen the U.S. military, and then signaled that he might not keep our commitments to NATO, which is practically an invitation to Putin to pounce. Trump says he looks forward to an improved relationship with the Russian dictator. Small wonder.

He brags that he knows more about ISIS than our generals, but is ignorant of fundamental facts about the Middle East. He ridicules the military service of U.S. Sen. John McCain, but obtained five military deferments while McCain was being tortured as a prisoner of war.

He expresses what many Republicans think. The GOP made a massive mistake in supporting Trump and continues to do so. It has destroyed its reputation with conservatives.